The present invention relates generally to a method of early diagnosis and treatment of ocular disorders and, more specifically, to the early diagnosis of subjects at risk for age-related macular degeneration and the administration of ocular antioxidants to subjects having hyperopia, presbyopia or astigmatism.
Hyperopia, presbyopia, and astigmatism are visual or ocular disorders that affect a significant percentage of the human population worldwide.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease associated with aging that gradually destroys sharp, central vision. The disease attacks the macula, the central area of the retina that allows a person to see fine detail. Individuals can lose all but the outermost peripheral vision, leaving dim images or black holes at the center of vision. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss and legal blindness in adults over 60 in the United States. An inverse relationship exists between the incidence of AMD and the amount of macular pigments, principally lutein and zeaxanthin, in the macula.